Whitegate 4-08
Newmarket-on-Fergus 4-04
Venue: Meelick GAA, Saturday 21st October
The Clare Champion U16 C final took place yesterday in Meelick under blustery conditions due to Storm Brian, but thankfully Brian took a bit of break while the match was on so it went ahead as planned.
This game without doubt can be described as a game of two halves. Whitegate started off the stronger team. They completely dominated the first half of the match, with some good points from their captain Greta Hickey. Their backs also played brilliantly, with Lena Spazzi a standout. Newmarket forwards were finding it hard to put scores up. Whitegate put Newmarket goalkeeper, Niamh Glesson, under severe pressure on several occasions and in the first half were rewarded with a score line of 3-05. Newmarket didn’t get their first score till the 27th minute of the first half, which was a fantastic goal by Caoimhe Lally.
The Blues came out raring to go in the second half and within minutes Caoimhe had scored another goal and Ellen Casey put 2 frees over the bar, to bring it back to a 5-point difference. Newmarket dominated for a sizable percentage of the second half. But then Whitegate stepped it up a gear and their Captain Greta scored another point from a free and Aideen Hickey went onto score a goal. They then swapped a few scores before Kaci Toomey for Newmarket scored a cracker of a goal. Very soon after that, a Lucy Enright pass to Lauren Cunneen, resulted in another goal for Newmarket, bringing it down to a 3-point difference. At this stage it was hard to keep focus with the cheering from the Newmarket crowd, knowing the win could still be theirs and the distraction of the Whitegate Manager being ordered off the pitch by the referee.
Whitegate were then awarded a free to which they converted, as quick as that, the whistle blew for full-time, giving a 4-08 to 4-04 score line to Whitegate.
Well done to our girls who played fantastically, they never gave up and should be proud of their efforts in 2017.
NOF: Niamh Gleeson, Leisha Regan, Kate Clancy (C), Sinead White, Ellen Casey (0-4), Kira O’Flanagan, Lisa O’Neill, Elise Mulcaire, Kaci Toomey (1-0), Caoimhe Lally (2-0), Hannah Fitzgerald, Elva Morrissey, Katie Duggan Hastings. Subs: Kate Burke, Lauren Cunneen (1-0) & Lucy Enright.
Whitegate: Alannah McNamara, Nicola Bugler, Caitriona Aspel, Leana Spazzi, Molly Spazzi, Danielle Flannery, Amber Nolan, Aine McDermott, Cait Keenen (1-0), Greta Hickey (C) (1-8), Alannah Hayes, Alision Hynes, Aideen Hickey (2-0). Subs: Abby Cashman Lynch, Chloe O’Halloran, Emma Hynes, Sarah Dooley & Mia McMahon.
Referee: Joe O’Donnell
Photo courtesy of Gerard O’Neill